Breeze
by Midnight C
Summary: Finished! Sequel to Embers. When they stumble upon a new village and a mysterious stranger, the Adepts begin to disappear. Somehow the plot revolves around Sheba, and in his quest for the truth, Ivan discovers more than he bargained for.
1. Sparks

I know some people speculate that Ivan and Sheba might be related (it certainly is possible given their mysterious pasts). Well, as of this writing, that's just a theory with no evidence to back it up. If we later on discover that the two of them actually _are_ related, just remember that for the sake of this story, they are not, I repeat, absolutely NOT related in any way at all.

With that reminder clearly enforced, here's where things stand: this begins a few weeks after the end of "Embers." The whole crew (Isaac, Mia, Garet, Jenna, Ivan, Sheba, Felix and Picard) is trying to find the missing Kraden (maybe Alex too), as well as locate the Mars Lighthouse to light the final beacon. If anything else is unclear in this, chances are it's a reference to one of the other three parts in my "Romance Saga." All set then? Let's get this thing started!

Disclaimer: All hail the great and powerful Camelot, creator of Golden Sun, the most magnificent RPG ever made! Now can we get the Lost Age a little sooner please?

***Sparks***

"Garet, get back here!" Jenna shouted as she ran across the deck with a frying pan in hand.

"Not on your life!" came her target's reply.

"What are those two up to now?" Picard asked, watching the two Mars Adepts from where he stood on the bridge.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Isaac sighed. "For just one day, I'd like peace and quiet on this ship. Just _one_ day."

"But where's the fun in that?" Picard chirped. "You don't give your fiery friends enough credit. They're all the entertainment one could ever need."

Felix came up the stairs to join them, looking rather put out. "What in the name of Venus does my sister see in that buffoon?" he muttered.

"Do you know what that's all about?" Isaac asked.

"Jenna was making lunch down in the galley and Garet thought it would go faster if they used Psynergy to cook it. But the idiot of course overdid it and set part of the ship as well as Jenna's hair on fire!"

"No wonder she's upset," Picard said. Isaac just groaned, knowing full well that was something that would happen to Garet.

"Lucky thing your girlfriend was nearby or else we'd all be in flames right now," Felix added. "As it is, Jenna lost about two inches of her hair, and she's mad as a hornet about it."

"And I suppose lunch is ruined as well?" said Picard.

"Not unless you like yours extra, _extra_ crispy," Felix replied.

"That tears it then," the Lemurian said with a nod. "Garet's not allowed anywhere near the galley ever again. It's not bad enough he eats most of the food, but now he has to ruin it for the rest of us as well."

"I apologize," said Isaac wearily.

"Some things never change, do they?" Felix inquired. "If I had one coin for every time you've apologized for Garet, I would be a very, _very_ wealthy guy."

"Jenna, Jenna I'm sorry!" Garet pleaded. "Don't hurt me!"

"You ruined my hair!" she accused, stepping on his back and brandishing the frying pan. "Do you even _know_ how long it's going to take for me to fix the singed ends? For it to grow back?"

Garet gulped, trying to think of a way to get out of this precarious situation. "I'm sorry, Jenna! I'll never do it again, I swear!"

"You ruined my hair!"

"Oh, that could never happen," he said quickly. "Your hair's always perfect, singed at the ends or not!"

Jenna studied him a moment. "Are you pulling my leg?"

"No, not for a minute! Nothing could ever make you ugly, Jenna. You're the prettiest Mars Adept there is!"

She lowered the arm holding the frying pan and sighed, then chuckled. "I give up. You're so utterly pathetic that I can't stay mad at you for very long."

Garet wasn't sure whether or not that was a good thing. Still, he was relieved that she wasn't threatening him with the frying pan anymore. He rose and smiled sheepishly at her. "Am I off the hook then?"

Jenna smirked then drew him into a kiss. When they parted, she took the frying pan and smacked him in the shoulder with it. "Now you are," she said. And she walked back towards the galley.

Garet massaged his injured shoulder and walked towards the bridge. "That girl…why do I put up with her?"

"Because she has you wrapped around her little finger," Isaac said.

"Because if you break her heart I'll break your face!" Felix added, sounding all too serious.

"Right," said Garet, a tad of nervousness in his voice. He decided to change the subject. "How much longer till we make landfall again, Isaac?"

"Soon," he replied. "Very soon. We'll be back in Hesperia within two days."

"Do we _really_ have to go find Kraden?" Garet asked.

"Yes!" Isaac said. "We can't leave him wandering around by himself. Who knows what kind of trouble he could get into?"

"That old man is a magnet for problems," Felix agreed. "He's worse than a little kid with the way he's always getting in people's faces and demanding information. I have to wonder how he's managed to live so long."

Isaac tried to suppress his laughter. It wasn't very nice to be talking about their teacher this way, but so much of it was true. "Then it's our job to protect him from himself," was all he said.

"Forget the fact that we'll have to deal with him in very close quarters," Garet muttered. "It sucks to be one of the good guys sometimes."

A figure moved across the main deck, whitish robes and long blue hair billowing in the sea breeze. It took all of a nanosecond for Isaac to slip away from the others and out onto the deck to join her.

"Back to the little woman again?" Garet teased. "You're such a sucker, Isaac."

"No more than you are," Isaac called back. Garet scowled at this, not wanting to admit to himself how true that comment was.

Picard smiled. "We should consider recruiting more female Adepts to assist us. Wouldn't you agree, Felix?"

Felix shrugged. "I have enough on my mind without having to concern myself with the opposite sex." He walked away towards the stern.

"Hard to believe he's Jenna's brother," Garet said. "He's so…so…"

"He's what we Lemurians usually refer to as a 'cold fish.'"

"Yeah, that's it!"

They looked back at Isaac and Mia, who were standing hand in hand at the bow talking. "Mia has Isaac," Picard began. "Jenna has you. I have to wonder if Sheba has anyone special in her life."

Garet thought a moment, considering this. "That's a good question. Sheba's always been a mystery to me. She doesn't seem to favor anyone in particular."

"Where is she anyway? I haven't seen either her or Ivan since this morning."

"I wouldn't worry. It's not like they can go very far."

Sheba was, in fact, sitting just above them on one of the higher decks of the ship. She stared out at the vast expanse of blue before them, letting the wind pull her blonde hairs in each and every direction. She seemed completely lost in thought.

_Something is coming_, she said to herself. _I can feel it in the winds. Something is waiting for us when we reach land again._

_Do you think it an ill omen?_ another voice said to her mind. She turned her head and looked upwards at the only one capable of invading her thoughts this way. Ivan sat down beside her. Using their Mind Read ability, the two of them could have long conversations without ever speaking a word. Only members of the Jupiter Clan could have such a unique bond.

_Then you feel it too, don't you Ivan?_ she asked.

_Yes. I can't tell if it's good or bad, though. I was wondering if you were having better luck._

No, unfortunately. If I were a little older and more experienced, perhaps then this wouldn't elude me.

Ivan nodded in agreement. The power to predict and sense the future grew stronger with time, but both of them were still too young to have fully developed this skill.

_It always makes me uneasy when I can't tell for sure_, Ivan confessed.

_Me too. It's not Agatio and Karst--that much I'm sure of. I would recognize their power._

Then it's either a new friend…or foe.

Sheba diverted her attention to the main deck below, not wishing to fuss over something she couldn't control. Besides, she had complete faith in her abilities and those of the others. They'd come this far--it seemed nothing could stop them now. Not when there was such a good balance among them: brute strength, sharp minds, powerful offensive Psynergy, miraculous healing abilities, and strong leadership to guide them. The eight of them made for an excellent troupe of Adepts. Her eyes traveled towards the Venus and Mercury Adepts standing hand in hand at the bow. She smiled to herself.

"Look at those two," Ivan said aloud. "I swear--there's way too much of this lovey-dovey stuff going on around here these days. As if Isaac and Mia weren't bad enough, now Garet and Jenna are at it too!"

"I think it's rather cute," said Sheba. "Don't be such a stick in the mud. Just because you don't have a girlfriend doesn't mean you should ruin it for the others."

He shrugged. "It's not jealousy, just a matter of practicality. I mean, we're on a quest to save our kind from dying out. We can't get caught up in our love lives with something like that hanging over us constantly."

Sheba stared at him a moment. She'd never known Ivan to be that cynical. "Are you all right?"

"Fine. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing. Forget it." She resumed watching Isaac and Mia as they kissed. How wonderful it must be to fall so completely in love. Would she ever feel something like that?

"Lunch is ready!" Jenna called. "And you'll be pleased to know that Garet didn't help me with it this time!"

"Hey!" Garet exclaimed indignantly. "I was only trying to help!"

"His kind of help is a dangerous thing," Ivan said. Sheba giggled. "Hungry?"

"A little, yes," she replied. He helped her up and they headed to the galley together. But as Sheba walked, she couldn't help but feel that something really was different about Ivan.

_He seems colder these days_, she said to herself, being careful to shield her thoughts so he wouldn't accidentally hear them. _I hope nothing's actually wrong with him. He's the only one I've ever met who's just like me_. _He's the only one who understands_.

"Sheba?" Ivan questioned. "Is something wrong? You seem…distant all of a sudden."

"No, it's nothing," she said with a forced smile. "I just don't like knowing something's coming and not knowing precisely _what_."

He nodded in understanding. "Well, no use fretting about it. I'm sure the eight of us can handle whatever we come across."

"Last one down there has to do the dishes!" Garet declared as he shoved by the two Jupiter Adepts. Ivan took off after him.

"That's not fair, Garet!" he cried. "Get back here!"

Sheba smiled. _Maybe I'm just overreacting. Everything will be fine as long as we're all together. I'm certain of that._

-------------------------------------------------

Ah, it feels good to be back in my usual element. I was beginning to miss it! ^_^ I know this isn't much of a beginning, but it was a good way to get the ball rolling.

By the way, I should mention that the title of this story comes from the opening theme song to _Slayers TRY_. If you haven't heard Megumi Hayashibara sing, you're missing out on something amazing! (Note to self: stop listening to so much anime music! It's doing weird things to your brain, Midnight!)

All right, I'm done--you may review now!


	2. Raging Waves

I've never worked on two different stories at once. So far it doesn't seem to be getting too complicated for me but then again, I'm not in the midst of writing my senior thesis either! (Shudders) I'll worry about that hurdle when I come to it, I guess.

***Raging Waves***

The following morning, Ivan stood out on deck watching the sunrise and feeling a bit leery. Whatever was waiting for them was powerful and likely to be unfriendly knowing their luck with this sort of thing. Of course, it _might_ be friendly after all. It was impossible to tell for certain, and that was his biggest concern.

_I'm not even sure it's human_, he thought. _Argh! Why can't I pinpoint this thing? Am I a Jupiter Adept or aren't I?_

"Ivan? What are you doing up this early?"

Ivan whirled to face the owner of the voice. Usually, he could feel the approach of another mind but he'd been too wrapped up in his thoughts and was caught off guard. "Morning, Captain," he greeted cheerfully. "Just watching the sunrise."

"I see," said Isaac. "Any particular reason why?"

For all his lacking of anything related to Jupiter Psynergy, Isaac always had an acute awareness of everything around him, and that included his friends. Ivan had always marveled at this trait, since he'd yet to encounter anyone else who possessed it as strongly. Sometimes it was annoying the way little ever slipped past their leader's vigilant eye.

"Sheba and I both sense that something is waiting for us," Ivan confessed. "But neither of us is sure if this thing is friend, foe, or something else altogether."

"And the fact that you can't tell for sure is even more upsetting, right?"

"Yes."

Isaac paused a moment as if to take it all in. Any premonition was something to take seriously, and if this one had been felt by both of the Jupiter Adepts on board, that was all the more reason to be concerned. But there was no sense in getting worked up into a frenzy. "I wouldn't worry too much, Ivan. We haven't encountered anything we couldn't handle yet. If you do learn anything more, be sure to tell me, won't you?"

"Of course." Ivan resumed trying to focus on the impending unknown force. The more he analyzed it, the more he thought it had something to do with Sheba. But how? And why?

_How does Sheba fit into this puzzle?_ he wondered_. It better not be anything bad_. Sheba was, after all, the only other young Jupiter Adept he'd ever met. She was something of a mirror to him and now that he'd met her, he didn't want to go back to being without that mirror. He'd felt a connection to her the moment he'd first seen her back when Babi had had her imprisoned in Tolbi. It was if he'd known her all of his life, maybe even before that if such a thing were possible.

The others were up and walking around deck now, heralding the beginning of another day in their journey. Picard, probably the best seaman among them, was manning the Black Orb, and the prow of the ship cut a foamy V shape into the turquoise ocean. Ivan inhaled the salty scent and let the wind surround him in an odd yet comforting embrace. To feel this wind was to truly feel alive.

_The simplest pleasures are always the most pure, aren't they?_ Sheba said to his mind.

"Don't startle me like that!" he exclaimed.

"Sorry. I didn't realize how absorbed you were with the wind. Or is it something else?"

"Only that weird feeling you and I have both been having. Nothing more, nothing less."

Sheba nodded. "It's amazing how when we start to think we're at the pinnacle of our Adept powers, something like this comes along to humble us."

Ivan studied her a moment, wondering if he should tell her the other feeling he was getting. "Sheba, I know you said you don't remember your life before you came to Lalivero, but do you think it's possible the thing we sense is about you?"

"Me? Why would you think that?"

"I…don't know. I just get this feeling that whatever is waiting for us has something to do with you."

"Is that so?" Her eyes glowed purple for a moment. "Well that's not what I'm getting from the winds. They seem to be telling me it has something to do with _you_."

Now Ivan was really stumped. This didn't make any sense whatsoever. And what could possibly be waiting for him in Hesperia? Unless…

"Master Hammet said you came from a village of Jupiter Adepts, correct?"

"Yes," Ivan replied. "But we've been all over the world and we've yet to find such a place. I'm beginning to think I'll never find out about my true origins." He sounded a little sad at this.

"Then you and I are much the same," Sheba said kindly. "Perhaps what we're really seeking in this world is not a past, but a future."

Ivan colored. He could feel an odd sensation radiating off of her, one that he'd felt a few times before but never got accustomed to. Was she trying to tell him something? Or was she hiding something from him and it seeped out in this sensation?

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"Nothing, nothing."

"Your lies flow freely in your mental energies, Ivan. You should know better than to hide things from a fellow mind reader." She was smiling in a way that was as equally confusing as the sensation she was emitting.

"Sorry. I have some things to tend to. We'll talk later, Sheba." And he hurried off.

_Was it something I said?_ Sheba wondered. _He's been acting so weird around me lately…_

"Where's Ivan off to in such a hurry?" Mia asked.

"I only wish I knew," Sheba replied. "Mia, have you noticed anything different about him lately?"

"Surely you'd be able to tell that better than I. You're the mind reader."

"Even the powers of Jupiter are limited," said Sheba. "There are some things that still escape me now and then, and Ivan is definitely one of them. One minute we're talking normally and everything's fine, and then he runs off or sayssomething that seems completely out of his character."

Mia smiled. "Perhaps the reason you can't make sense of it is because it's not a matter of the mind at all."

"What so you mean by that?"

But Mia didn't answer and walked off towards the bridge. Sheba stared after her, more puzzled than ever. _What else is there besides the mind? The mind is everything—the curator of memories, emotions, and actions. How could this _not_ be a matter of the mind?_

Something smacked against the bottom of the boat, jarring the deck enough to knock everyone over. "Good morning indeed!" Garet exclaimed indignantly. "What the hell was that?"

The boat shook again, as if a series of sporadic earthquakes had taken over the vessel. "Jenna!" Felix called up to the crow's nest. "Can you see anything from up there?"

Jenna shielded her eyes from the sun. "Nothing. Just the usual blue ocean—oh my…"

"What?" Garet asked. "What is it?"

She pointed towards the stern, and something was bubbling to the surface. Judging by the foam and the radius of the bubbles, it was something big. And a few moments later, the head of an enormous blue-black serpent rose up out of the water. It flashed a set of gleaming yellowed teeth and pulled itself further out of the water, revealing huge claws and a portion of a snake-like body so huge that most of it remained hidden beneath the blue surface. The eight Adepts stood in a semi-circle at the back of the ship, wide-eyed in a sense of awe and loathing.

"Looks like we have company," Garet quipped.

"If I'd known it was coming, I would've made an extra large pot of fish stew," Picard added.

"It figures something like this would happen," said Felix. "I knew things had been going too smoothly."

Sheba and Ivan looked at each other knowingly, believing that the obstacle they'd sensed had finally reared its large and ugly head. The sound of ringing steel resounded briefly as Isaac, Garet, Felix, and Picard drew their swords. "Be careful with your Psynergy, guys," Isaac said. "We can't afford to do any damage to the ship."

Nods passed around the warriors. The sea serpent gnashed its gigantic teeth a few times and made some sort of stifled roar in its throat. It slowly raised one of its huge claw-hands and brought it down in a low and deadly pass over the deck. Fortunately, the group scattered in time to avoid the swipe.

"Try some of this, big boy!" Jenna exclaimed. A spiral of flame flew out of the end of her staff, scorching the claw. But the serpent shook it off and glared back down at her, narrowing its big yellow eyes.

"I thought all water-based monsters were vulnerable to fire?" Garet said in confusion.

"Did it ever occur to you that perhaps it's _not_ water-based?" Isaac inquired.

"But it lives in the ocean!" said Garet.

"Yes, but that doesn't automatically make it a water-based monster," Picard said.

The serpent opened up its mouth and exhaled a jet of blue fire. Quickly, Mia and Picard called up swirls of water to cancel the flames before they incinerated the ship. For several moments, two streams of blue energy were fighting back and forth for control, creating a swath of thick steam in the process. Then two bolts of electricity hit the serpent and it reared back in pain. Mia stumbled a bit, relieved to have a moment to recover from countering the fire. Picard steadied her, beads of sweat dripping down his face.

"It didn't like that," Sheba said. "I think it's vulnerable to Jupiter powers."

"Then you guys know what to do," said Felix. "Get to it!"

"We'll try to keep it distracted so you guys can nail it good," Garet added.

Ivan and Sheba nodded and worked their way to one of the higher decks for better attack positions. Balls of fire, golden swords of light, and shards of ice began pummeling the creature on all sides. The huge claw made another pass over the deck in an effort to sweep the annoying gnats into the sea. Garet reached out and stabbed the appendage with his sword. In return, the serpent flailed its claw wildly, sending Garet crashing into Jenna and Picard, the three of them ending up in a confused and slightly dazed heap at one end of the stern.

"You guys OK?" Isaac called.

"Yes," Garet returned. "Lucky for me I landed on something soft."

"That would be me, you big oaf!" Jenna scowled. "Now get off of me before you crush my ribs!"

"Sorry," said Garet as he helped her up.

"Well at least you weren't at the _bottom_ of the pile," Picard said wearily. The claw whooshed overhead again. "Watch out!"

"Ragnarok!" Felix and Isaac shouted together. Two glowing swords of golden light plunged into the serpent's arm. It turned and exhaled more blue fire towards them. Mia called up more water to counter, the flames almost engulfing her and another thick shield of steam forming around the stern.

"Picard!" she cried.

The Lemurian rushed to her aid. Above it all, Ivan and Sheba lifted their staves and prepared to unleash the best Jupiter Psynergy they had.

"Spark Plasma!" Sheba called. A torrent of purple lightening crackled down from the sky in a blinding flash. Ivan looked on with a bit of jealousy. That was the one spell he'd yet to master and she could do it perfectly with nary a thought. He sighed to himself and settled for the less impressive Destruct Ray, knowing that gale force winds would probably do more harm than good.

The serpent roared in a combination of pain and anger. The boat shook violently as it was hit repeatedly from beneath the water, upsetting everyone's balance. Ivan struggled to his feet and cast Shine Plasma. This only angered the serpent more and intensified the tremors. At the bow, an enormous scaly tail emerged from the ocean and started to coil itself around the ship.

"Isaac!" Sheba shouted, seeing the new threat. "It's going to try to pull us under!"

"Nail it again!" Isaac called back. "We'll deal with the other end!"

So both Ivan and Sheba called down more of their mighty electric bolts. Isaac, Garet, Jenna and Felix ran to the front of the boat and started attacking the tail furiously before it succeeded in either capsizing the vessel or dragging it to the bottom of the sea. At the stern, the serpent continued swiping at Mia and Picard, following with the occasional breath of blue flame. At one point, the deck actually did catch fire, but it was quickly extinguished before any serious damage was done. Mia stumbled to her knees, panting heavily.

"Hang in there, Lady Mia," said Picard, though he too sounded quite exhausted.

"I'm trying," she said. "Healing I can handle, but the attack spells take much more out of me."

He helped her up just as their enemy exhaled more fire.

"I'm almost spent," said Sheba. "Four rounds of Spark Plasma isn't good for me."

An odor of burnt scales was wafting through the air, no doubt from Jenna trying to roast the offending tail. "I've got one idea," Ivan said, trying to shake off the lightheadedness that often accompanied heavy Psynergy use. "I sent out four of my Djinn. I don't think I can handle summoning Thor on my own, but I'll bet we can do it together, Sheba. That is, if you think you're up for it."

"It's better than drowning," she replied. "Let's do it."

They joined their hands and a column of purple light enveloped them as the four Jupiter Djinn flew up around them and into the clouds. The sky darkened, and then a ray of purple light traced a familiar design above them. With a crack of thunder and a flash of lightening, the spirit of Thor descended from the heavens and blasted the serpent with thousands of volts of electricity. It was there for only a moment, but it was enough to make the beast wretch and howl with pain. It flailed violently, contorted, and then finally crashed back into the ocean. A small tidal wave washed across the ship, sending all of the Adepts crashing into the rails. The boat rocked, lurched, and was dropped from the top of a huge wave, but it didn't capsize. And then all was still and quiet.

"It's over," Jenna sighed in relief.

"As if that monster stood a chance against us!" Garet declared.

"Nice work, you two," Felix said to Ivan and Sheba as they came onto the main deck.

"Thank you," Ivan and Sheba replied together.

Isaac wrung out the end of his scarf, thoroughly soaked. "Is everyone OK?"

"Just a little wet," said Picard. "Nothing I can't handle."

"Speak for yourself!" Jenna and Garet cried.

"Where's Mia?" Isaac asked. "Wasn't she fighting with you, Picard?"

Picard looked around. "She was. Where'd she get to?"

"Mia?" the others called.

Isaac walked towards the stern, thinking that perhaps the impact of the wave might've stunned her. But she wasn't in sight. "Mia?" he questioned. He walked closer to the rail and spotted something shiny out of the corner of his eye. And floating in the ocean below him was Mia's Crystal Rod.

-------------------------------------------------

(Whistling nonchalantly) Cliffhanger? What's that? I have _no_ idea what you're talking about… ^_^


	3. The Newcomer

[Reading dictionary] "Cliffhanger: _noun_; a suspenseful movie, story, situation, etc."

OH! So _that's_ why everyone keeps getting mad at me—because my stuff is suspenseful! I tell you, I'd be lost without my Webster's. ^_^

****

*The Newcomer*

The six Adepts gathered at the bow of the ship heard a sudden splash not far away, and they instinctively turned in the direction of the noise. "What was that?" Felix asked as the whole group moved towards the sound. Then they saw the foam in the water.

"Isaac!" Jenna cried, running to the rail. "What in the name of Mars…?"

"I think that's your answer," said Ivan, pointing to the Crystal Rod floating nearby.

"Then Mia must've been swept overboard by the wave," Sheba said in worry.

"What should we do?" Garet asked.

Isaac was immersed in a dense blue darkness, willing himself not to panic and to find his missing fiancee. The water was incredibly murky and it seemed to swallow everything in a suffocating clout of salt and cold. He made the occasional bob for air but persisted in his quest, blocking out the cries of protest he kept hearing from above. It was impossible to tell how much time passed between his initial plunge into the water and when the cold began to paralyze him. Even his strong will couldn't fight the elements forever.

Somehow he ended up back aboard the ship, soaked and shivering. Jenna placed a blanket over his shoulders and hugged him. "We'll find her, Isaac," she whispered in his ear. He didn't react to her voice at all.

"I can see land ahead of us," Felix said. "I think the best course of action is to make landfall and then continue our search."

"Who died and left you in charge?" Garet demanded.

Felix frowned. "Well _someone_ has to take control of the situation."

"But why does that someone have to be you?"

"Garet, please," said Ivan. "That won't get us anywhere. I think Felix is right—we should get to land first."

"Right," Sheba agreed. "Let's take this one step at a time."

"Man the orb, Picard," Felix said. "I'll check our position."

"What a way to begin the day," said Garet as he shook his head and crossed his arms. He tried to sound more optimistic as he looked down at his best friend. "Don't worry, Isaac. Mia _is_ a Mercury Adept after all. She's hardly a stranger to water."

"We'll do whatever it takes to find her," Sheba added.

Isaac didn't say anything but he rose and headed down below deck to dry off. As he passed, Ivan and Sheba felt the ripple of worry and heartache that was radiating from him. Truly, the worst part about love was that sometimes it could hurt more than the deepest of battle wounds.

They dropped anchor in a hidden cove and made the ship invisible with the Cloak Ball. They searched for Mia for the remainder of the day and into the night, though once darkness settled, it was hard to see much of anything. Eventually, they were forced to stop, resolving to keep looking as soon as the sun rose. They made camp on the beach and cooked rations over an open fire despite the fact that no one really felt like eating. Isaac was too despondent to do much of anything except continue pacing up and down the beach.

_I hate seeing him like that_, Sheba mentally said to Ivan.

_Don't we all_, he replied. _I tell you, he may be the happiest guy alive whenever he's with Mia, but take her away and he's hardly a shadow_.

Sheba hunched over a little. _Do you think that's wrong?_

_What do you mean?_

Do you think it's wrong to love someone that much? To care so much about someone that you feel incomplete when that someone's gone?

_No_, Ivan said. _But I think a bond that powerful has to be quite rare._

Is it anything you'd ever like to experience?

Ivan blushed. There was that weird feeling from her again. _Sheba, I think it's better if we focus on finding Mia. Talking about love isn't going to bring her back to us_.

_Oh_. Sheba shut off her mental connection to him at that point, sighing to herself. She'd only asked a simple question; why had it made him edgy and quick to change the subject? _Ivan, some days I really wonder about you_, she thought.

And at the same time, Ivan was thinking the exact same thing about her.

"Let's try to get some sleep," Picard suggested. "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Hey Isaac," Garet called. "Come on."

Isaac sighed and stayed put where he stood not far from the fire, knowing he'd certainly never be able to sleep. Not when Mia was missing or…no he couldn't allow himself to think that. Not yet. 

"I'll just stand watch," he said quietly.

Garet started to protest but Jenna nudged him before he said anything. As the others drifted off into what were likely uneasy rests, Isaac kept a silent vigil nearby. He stood gazing at the stars and listening to the cold and cruel ocean that had stolen his greatest treasure from him.

************

Ivan stirred and squinted at the early morning sunlight. It cast bright sparkles on the sea. Sheba, Garet, Jenna, Felix and Picard were still sleeping around the extinguished fire pit, Garet snoring up a storm as usual. Ivan rolled his eyes at this and stood up and stretched. He looked around and realized that there was no sign of Isaac anywhere.

_That's not like him_, he thought. _Isaac would never wander off without telling someone_. He paced a few steps down the beach but there was nothing; not even a single footprint.

"Ivan?" Sheba said from behind him. "What's the matter?"

"Isn't something missing in this picture?" he questioned.

Sheba tipped her head. "What do you mean?"

"Well, where's Isaac? If he was keeping guard like he said he would, he wouldn't be out of sight."

The others were getting up too and they immediately noticed the same thing. "Where did he get to?" Jenna wondered.

"Perhaps he took a walk to clear his head," Picard suggested.

"And he didn't tell us?" Garet implored. "That's not something he'd do."

"I don't like this," Sheba muttered.

"Nor do I," said Ivan.

They fanned out a bit and called out to their missing leader. Picard pushed aside some ferns and spotted something shiny amid all the leaves. Closer inspection revealed it to be the hilt of the Gaia Blade, still in its scabbard. He seized it and went back to show his discovery to the others.

"He left his sword?!" Jenna exclaimed. "But he'd never, _ever_ do that!"

"Something is definitely rotten in Wayard," Felix concurred. "As despondent as he was last night, Isaac would never go anywhere without his weapon, especially since we're in unknown territory right now."

"Great," said Garet. "It's not bad enough that Mia got lost at sea, but now something's happened to Isaac too!"

Picard frowned at the scabbard in his hands. "People do not just disappear without a trace. There is something decidedly sinister at work here."

"Are you two sensing anything?" Jenna asked the two Jupiter Adepts.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," Sheba replied. "All of the weird feelings I was predicting disappeared after the battle with the sea serpent yesterday."

"Same here," said Ivan. He pursed his lips together in thought. "However, the evidence is clear enough. Isaac didn't wander off; he was either attacked or taken—perhaps both."

"So where does that leave us?" Garet asked. "Mia's still missing too. How are we going to search for both of them at the same time?"

"I think Mia is a lost cause," Felix said. How did he mange to keep his voice so neutral in times like this?

"We're not giving up on her yet, Felix," said Picard. "It is entirely possible that Lady Mia was swept to shore and is alive. We were not that far from land when that monster attacked us."

"Do you think it's possible that they're together?" Jenna questioned.

"Wherever you find Isaac, you usually find his little woman," Garet replied. "Those two are practically joined at the hip."

"It is a possibility," said Ivan. "At any rate, neither one of them could be very far, I think. If we broaden our search, perhaps we will at least find some clues as to their whereabouts."

They had barely begun their search when something rustled from above. A huge flock of monstrous birds was flying over them. Each one had two heads and a wingspan longer than Garet was tall. Their feathers were the same odd shade of blue-black as the sea serpent they'd battled yesterday, and these birds looked just as nasty. One of them opened both of its beaks and exhaled a stream of blue fire right at the Adepts.

"Look out!" Picard shouted at the same time he sent out water to cancel the flames.

"More company," Garet griped as he pulled out his sword. "What'd we do to deserve this warm reception anyway?"

"Just shut up and fight," said Felix. He cast Ragnarok at one of the birds, but the Psynergenic sword seemed to have no effect. Jenna called up a firestorm, which sent two of the birds crashing to the ground. Garet finished them off with his blade, while the rest of the flock swooped lower.

"Spark Plasma!" Sheba cried. A half dozen birds shrieked and crumbled to ashes from the white-hot stream of lightening.

Ivan sighed to himself at the sight of her attack and cast Tornado to try and sweep all of the birds away. Two of them actually did get sucked into the funnels, but the rest dive-bombed right for him. He tried Shine Plasma to keep them at bay, only to see the birds open their beaks and send out a blue inferno.

"Ivan!" the others cried. Picard called up all the water he could manage. A thick cloud of steam engulfed the entire beach area, blinding all of the Adepts as well as their freakish enemies.

"Smooth one Picard!" Garet coughed.

"Did you have a _better_ idea?" the Lemurian inquired.

Sheba cast Whirlwind to clear the air. "Ivan?" she asked.

"I'm all right," he said, brushing some soot off of his clothes.

"Thank Jupiter," Sheba sighed in relief as she went to his side. "You had me worried for a second there."

Ivan smiled slightly and then saw the birds coming up behind her. "Get down!" he cried, grabbing her and sliding into the sand. A massive rush of feathers passed mere inches above their heads.

"Take this!" Jenna exclaimed as she spread her arms and cast Eruption. More of the birds turned to ashes, but there had to be at least two dozen more.

"Are there no end to these beasts?" Picard asked.

Felix leapt into the air and hacked one of the birds in half with his sword. The other creatures didn't take to that very well and blasted him with razor-sharp feathers, not unlike the Twin Beaks attack used by Wild Gryphons. Felix landed with a grunt and cast Cure on himself, though he was obviously still sore as he staggered back to his feet.

"Tempest!" Sheba and Ivan cried together. An enormous whirlwind sucked in half of the flock, spun them around violently, and then threw them out towards the ocean. Their limp bodies tumbled into the waves. Unfortunately, the windstorm had been so powerful that it pulled much of the sand into the air and made it impossible for anyone to either see or breathe. The birds, however, handled it more easily than the Adepts and used the opportunity to exhale more of their mysterious blue fire. By the time the sand had settled enough for them to see, flames had surrounded the six of them.

"Note to self," Ivan muttered. "Never cast Tempest while on the beach."

"Get ready for another smoke screen," Picard warned as he called on the waters of Mercury once again. Since when did birds breathe fire? Sea dragons maybe, but birds?

Even with the blanket of steam shielding the group from sight, one of the birds charged and struck both Picard and Jenna with its sharp beaks. The two of them crumpled to the ground and the remaining creatures, while small in number, looked decidedly angered and charged at the four standing Adepts.

Lightening fell from the sky and suddenly incinerated all of the birds. The Adepts looked on in surprise as all of their attackers dissolve into ashes.

"Did you do that, Ivan?" Sheba asked.

"No," he replied. "I couldn't see through the steam."

Picard rose, casting Ply on himself, and Felix and Garet were already at Jenna's side. Where had that blast of lightening come from?

"It seems I arrived just in time," said a voice.

Standing a few yards away was a man dressed in long violet robes and carrying a wooden staff in his right hand. He approached the group slowly so as not to appear menacing.

"Who are you?" Felix asked.

"My name is Tristan," the man said. He had a young-looking face but something about him seemed much older than his appearance indicated. His blue-black hair was overgrown and messy and fell into his eyes, which were a piercing green. "It is dangerous to travel in these parts unprotected. The monsters have been coming out in greater and greater numbers these days."

"Thanks for the warning," said Garet. "But your timing could be better."

"Are you an Adept?" Ivan asked.

"Yes, of the Jupiter Clan," Tristan said with a nod. "I had visions of a group of Adepts coming here, though it seems I was a bit off. I thought there would be more of you."

"Well, two of our companions are unaccounted for," Jenna explained. "We were just about to go look for them when those suckers attacked us."

Tristan nodded again. "Somehow that does not surprise me. People from my village have been disappearing of late as well."

"Your village?" Picard questioned.

"It is not far from here," said Tristan. "Please come with me. I will gladly explain everything. I sense that we will have to work together if we hope to unravel this mystery and save all the missing people—including your friends." He started to slowly walk away.

"Can we trust this guy?" Garet whispered to the others.

"I don't think we have much choice," Felix whispered back.

"He seems all right to me," Sheba put in. "I'm not sensing anything out of the ordinary about him at all."

"That's good enough for me," said Jenna.

"I agree," Picard added.

So the six of them followed Tristan as he led them to parts unknown. Ivan regarded the man carefully and narrowed his eyes. _There's something about him that I don't like_, he thought. _I'm sure that if he meant us any harm, Sheba would've sensed it too. Maybe I'm just being paranoid. But something still doesn't feel right to me here…_

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Hmmm…two Jupiter Adepts with two different gut reactions. Which one of them do you suppose is right about our new friend Tristan?


	4. The Child of Jupiter?

Thanks everyone for the new stack of reviews to make me both very happy and fear for my bodily health. This one in particular struck me: "I love your way of stacking up plots then twisting them about and throwing them at the reader's face in a mangled heap."

Bar-Ohki, I couldn't have said it better myself! ^_^

***The Child of Jupiter?***

What Tristan brought them to was not so much a village but a cluster of maybe ten small buildings with a few people weaving in and about them. These buildings were little more than oversized thatched huts, lacking the sturdiness one would expect of human dwellings. He led them to one building off to the side, which was quite a bit nicer and larger than the rest.

"Please, make yourselves at home," Tristan said as he motioned them in.

The central sitting room he indicated was surprisingly plush, with a rich red carpet embroidered with golden thread and a soft couch and a few armchairs positioned around a low table. The six sat down and waited, wondering exactly what Tristan was going to reveal to them, if anything. Ivan shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Nothing here seemed out of the ordinary, but he had a nervous, unsettling feeling rolling around in the pit of his stomach.

"As you can see, my village is very small," said Tristan. "It used to be much bigger, but the monsters have destroyed much of it. We've done what we could with the materials we have, but it has been hard. For every building we construct, it seems that two more are destroyed."

"Can't you use your Psynergy to protect this place?" Felix asked.

"We have tried, but many of us lack the training necessary to fend off these creatures. They always come in great numbers, like those birds you fought. I am perhaps the strongest Adept here and I certainly cannot handle a whole swarm on my own."

"I would think not," said Sheba. "Is everyone here a Jupiter Adept?"

"Yes," Tristan replied. "And we too were once in great number here, but many have fled due to the monsters or disappeared without a trace. We have tried time and again to find out what's going on, but we keep coming up with nothing. It's as if there's a wall blocking all of our abilities to read and foresee."

"How awful!" Sheba exclaimed. "I know how frustrating it is to not be able to pinpoint a problem. And I imagine it must be doubly worse with so many terrible things happening here!"

Tristan nodded. "We got one small ray of hope, however, when I foresaw the arrival of a group of powerful Adepts by sea, and with them, the missing Child of Jupiter. If my prediction is correct, you Sheba, are the answer to our prayers."

Sheba blushed and her friends looked at her quizzically. "'Child of Jupiter?'" Ivan questioned. "What are you talking about?"

"About fifteen years ago, there was a girl born in this village with such advanced Jupiter powers that she was declared to be spawned by the God Jupiter himself. But she was lost to us in a windstorm. Popular opinion is that Jupiter decided to bring her back to the heavens. Our sages could tell that she was still alive, though, and predicted that she would return to this village when we needed her the most. I cannot imagine a need greater than our current one."

"And you have reason to believe that Sheba is the Child of Jupiter?" Jenna asked.

"Yes. I can sense the power coursing through her. There is no doubt in my mind that she is the one."

"How ironic that the people of Lalivero also declared her a child of the gods," said Felix.

"Lalivero?" Tristan inquired. "Is that where you hail from, Sheba?"

"Yes. My adopted father Faran told me I fell from the sky and into his village one day. He raised me and the people there revered me as a child of the gods because of my unusual origins and powers. But I never imagined that there was a grain of truth in it."

Tristan smiled and took her hand. "Your coming here was fate, Sheba. This is your true home. I only wish I could welcome you back under better circumstances."

Sheba was very pink as she looked into Tristan's green eyes. Somehow, it felt right being in this small village with him. Some part of her that had always seemed lost suddenly felt at ease and in place, like a missing puzzle piece that had finally been found. She had truly come home. Every bone in her body knew it to be true.

"Tell us of these disappearances," said Picard. "You said that people from your village have just vanished without a trace?"

"Precisely," Tristan said. "The disappearances seem to happen completely at random—men, women, children, anyone can suddenly vanish. There's never a trace left except for perhaps an odd scrap of clothing or some such thing, and our search parties always come up empty handed. We can't even begin to imagine the cause of this phenomenon. All we know is that it's definitely evil."

"That helps us a lot," Garet grumbled. "You don't have any leads at all?"

"None, I'm afraid," said Tristan. "Our village elder was the most recent victim. He vanished yesterday afternoon. All we found was his staff."

Ivan looked at their new acquaintance carefully. "How exactly do you expect us to help you if you're not going to give us any information?"

"I do wish that I could. But I am thrilled to see the six of you here. If my vision is correct, Sheba will be able to find the source of these calamities."

"You're giving me too much credit," Sheba said. "I haven't had even a hint of a premonition since we landed, and all of the ones I've received in the past were too jumbled to fully discern. I think that I'm too young and inexperienced for such a task, Tristan."

"Nonsense!" Tristan declared. "You'll see. All you have to do is become accustomed to the energies of this land. This is your home, Sheba; your powers will be at their strongest here without question!"

"What are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Garet asked. "We can't just sit on our butts and wait!"

"We can continue looking for leads," said Picard. "Any clues we can possibly unearth are better than nothing at all."

Felix agreed. "We will use the remaining daylight hours to keep checking the area for signs of Isaac and Mia."

"You're welcome to stay here for as long as you need," Tristan said. "It's the least I can do."

"Thank you," said Jenna.

"If the rest of you don't mind, I would like to stay here with Tristan while you search," Sheba said. "I'm anxious to learn more about this place."

"Of course," said Felix. "We'll be back before dark." He filed out with Jenna, Garet and Picard. Ivan, however, lingered in the doorway, frowning at how Tristan and Sheba were smiling at each other.

"May I tag along too?" he asked. "I'm curious to know more about this village and the Adepts living here."

"Ivan's a Jupiter Adept too," said Sheba. "And he doesn't know his true origins either. Do you think it's possible he's from this place as well?"

"No," Tristan answered quickly. "We've never lost any male children, and his power isn't great enough to be from our village."

Ivan forced himself to swallow his outrage at this statement. _I'll show you strong_! he thought. _I'll blow you into next week if you make another crack like that_! How dare this complete stranger be so rude and presumptuous!

"Ivan's very strong," Sheba insisted. "He's one of the strongest Adepts I've ever met."

"And yet he has never mastered something as simple as Spark Plasma," said Tristan.

"He will," Sheba said plainly. "People learn at different speeds, Tristan. I have full confidence in Ivan's abilities. I trust him with my life."

"Of course." Tristan sounded too condescending for Ivan's taste. "I suppose you may come along if you wish, though I don't understand why one would want to learn about a place entirely out of his league."

Electricity briefly crackled in Ivan's hands. He wanted to shock that smug grin right off of Tristan's face, but he held back for Sheba's sake. If this indeed was her true home, he didn't want to make things socially awkward for her. He trailed a bit behind the two of them as they walked around the small town, listening to Tristan prattle on about the former greatness of his clan and how devastating things had been for everyone. Sheba seemed to be dwelling on every word of his sob story, but Ivan wasn't buying it. There was something fishy about this whole situation, and the more he listened and observed, the surer he was that Tristan was hiding something.

_Whatever this guy is up to, he's going to have to contend with me if he pulls anything_, Ivan thought. _I'll find out what his dirty little secret is somehow. You just wait Tristan. I have my eye on you_.

"Are my real parents still here?" Sheba asked.

"Alas, no," Tristan replied. "They both died shortly after you were taken by the wind. Monster attacks happened even back then. It wasn't pretty—best you not hear all the details."

"If it's so dangerous here, why don't you relocate?" Ivan muttered. The other two didn't hear him.

"Maybe it's just as well. I've committed to helping the others on their quest. If I met my real parents, I might be too tempted to go back on my word and stay here."

"Would that be so bad?" Tristan inquired. "I know we don't have much, but with you here, we can rebuild our village to its original splendor, Sheba. It was truly magnificent—the lavish buildings, the paved streets, the elegant architecture and bustling market! It was a place worthy of Adepts like us!"

"I'm sure it was. I can almost envision it in my mind."

"After your quest, would you consider returning here to stay?"

Sheba thought a moment. "Well, I won't rule out the option." They both smiled. Ivan grumbled audibly, and again went unnoticed.

"There is something else you should probably know, Sheba," Tristan began.

"What's that?"

He faltered. "No…nevermind. It is not the right time for me to tell you. But I will, I promise. Perhaps after our current crisis has been dealt with."

"Oh. Then there's another reason for us to try to solve this problem. I can't stand the suspense!"

_He is definitely up to something_, Ivan thought more bitterly than ever. He resolved to keep a closer eye on Sheba from now on. It was apparent that whatever Tristan was up to, it revolved around her, and Ivan was not about to let anything bad happen to her.

************

Jenna couldn't sleep. The long day of searching had yielded absolutely no clues, and now the whole group had retired to Tristan's house. Jenna and Sheba were sharing the guestroom while the boys were sprawled about the living area. Maybe it was the fact that Isaac and Mia were still unaccounted for, or maybe it was because she was in an unfamiliar house, but whatever the reason, Jenna was wide awake and the others were all sound asleep. She could clearly hear Garet's snoring from the next room.

Deciding that perhaps a short walk around the house might help ease her anxiety, Jenna got up and tiptoed out the door. The night was clear and quiet with only the faint sound of chirping crickets in the distance. She circled the small building, yawning and wishing she weren't so restless.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement. A shadowy figure was walking past the houses and towards the outskirts of town. Curious, Jenna followed after it, being extra careful to stay out of sight. The figure didn't move quickly, but it was being deliberate and clearly knew exactly where it was going. And as Jenna got closer to it, she realized that this person was carrying something. The sliver of moon in the sky cast just enough light for Jenna to catch a slight glimpse of blue.

_Blue?_

At first, Jenna thought her eyes had played a trick on her. She silently dashed forward to get a better look, and saw the same distinct shade of aquamarine reflected in the moonlight. It was Mia's hair! There was simply no doubt about it—this shadowy person was carrying Mia!

Heart pounding, Jenna kept pursuing the person, her mind racing in a combination of fear and elation. Mia wasn't at the bottom of the ocean after all, and with any luck the limp form in this person's arms was still alive. But what was this stranger doing with Mia? And where was she being taken?

The figure finally stopped before a sheer face of solid rock, which reached almost as high as the towering Mt. Aleph. Jenna hid behind a tree, and watched in amazement as the figure walked right into the cliff! It took a moment for her to absorb this. How could anyone walk through solid stone? It made absolutely no sense!

She walked right up to this cliff and stared at it, thinking for sure that she had imagined the whole thing. Tentatively, she touched the cliff and her hand disappeared right into it! She pulled her hand back out and then repeated.

_It's an illusion!_ she thought. Her better judgment told her to go back and tell the others, but she didn't want to abandon Mia to whoever that person had been. Swallowing hard, Jenna walked into the cliff.

Inside was a vast open chamber lit with numerous torches. She took a few more steps forward, trying to take all of it in. Why would anyone hide a place like this inside of a mountain? And how had that illusion been created in the first place? She stood there, pondering, for several moments before deciding that she needed to go back to tell the others. But just as she turned to leave, something suddenly hit her on the back of the head and she fell into blackness.

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Yes, I know I'm evil. Yes, I know you want to kill me. And yes, I promise I'll update as soon as I can! ^_^


	5. One by One

^^; Ehehe…for some reason that even I'm not too sure of, this story is suffering from major cliffhangeritis. It didn't start out this way I swear! This plot's just gotten a little more mysterious than I originally intended. Please don't kill me!

Oh, and Griffinkhan, there's reason why I haven't mentioned Tristan's age! You'll find out soon enough, but for now, let's just say he _appears_ to be 17 or so. ^_^

***One by One***

"How could you let this happen?!" Felix demanded, grabbing Garet by his tunic. "How could you let my sister wander off and disappear?! It was your job to look after her!"

"I can't watch her every second!" Garet shouted back, shoving Felix off. "If you were so concerned, why didn't _you_ look after her?!"

"This is all your fault!"

"No, it's _your_ fault!"

Felix decked Garet at that point, and Garet immediately struck back, tackling him to the ground. The two of them rolled around for a few moments before a sudden rush of icy water temporarily distracted them. When they started to go after each other again, Picard seized both of them and held them apart.

"That's enough!" the Lemurian bellowed. "We cannot be fighting each other right now—it will only make our situation worse!"

"Unhand me, Picard!" Felix growled. "This isn't your concern."

"It is when two of my friends are trying to tear each other apart. Felix, you must calm down. How can you hope to find Jenna if you're this upset?"

"To think he's accuse me of letting Jenna disappear!" Garet exclaimed indignantly.

"This _is_ your fault, Garet! I swear I'll tear you limb from limb with my bare hands!"

"You'll need more than that! I could kick your butt any day—just say the word!"

Felix lunged for Garet, breaking free of Picard's iron grip. There just wasn't any reasoning with either Jenna's lover or brother when they got like this.

"Do something!" Sheba cried.

Tristan lifted his staff and let loose a wind strong enough to separate Felix and Garet. "No more of this," he said firmly. "The next one of you who starts something is going to get a sleep spell cast on him!"

Felix growled quite loudly and continued giving Garet a nasty glare, but he kept his distance. Garet dusted himself off and met Felix's glare just as defiantly. If it weren't for Jenna, he really would rip him apart.

"Finally," said Picard. "Now, when was the last time anyone saw Jenna?"

"Last night when I went to bed," Sheba answered. "She was there in the room with me and I thought that she went to sleep."

"She must've gotten up during the night," Ivan said. "Unless this 'person snatcher' infiltrated Tristan's first class alarm system."

"Ivan!" Sheba exclaimed, shocked by his comment. "Apologize!"

"It's all right, Sheba," said Tristan. "I admit that my house isn't the sturdiest building in the world. This is my fault for bringing you here. I should've sent you away on your ship the moment you arrived. It is too dangerous here."

"Tristan…" Sheba trailed.

_Sheba, may I speak with you a moment in private?_ Ivan inquired to her mind.

The two Jupiter Adepts went around the corner of Tristan's house so that they were out of earshot from the others. Sheba looked quite perturbed. "What's the matter with you, Ivan?" she asked. "Tristan is only trying to help us—why are you being so mean to him?"

"Me mean to him? He's the one who was arrogant enough to accuse me of being weak!"

"That's no excuse! We're his guests and he's been going though a rough time. The least you could do is show a little courtesy!"

Ivan sighed. "Look, I don't want to get into this. Sheba, I'm sensing something about him that I don't like. He's hiding a big secret from us."

"Nonsense."

"Sheba, I'm not kidding! I know you want to believe everything he's telling you. I mean, he's offered you a past that you never thought you'd find! I only wish I could be so lucky. But just because he's told you this story doesn't make it true, nor does it mean that he's trustworthy. What do we _really_ know about him, Sheba? Think about it."

She studied Ivan a moment, crossing her arms. "Ivan, I understand that you're not too fond of him for some of the things he's said, but to turn around and accuse him of lying is terribly childish. I can't believe you're doing this."

"Doing what?"

"Trying to interfere with my happiness. Don't you see? This place is my home—my _real_ home! I thought that of all people you would understand how important this is!"

"That's not what I'm saying! I—"

"I don't want to hear another one of these stupid accusations of yours," she interrupted. "Tristan is only trying to help us. If he were truly hiding something, I would've sensed it. Either your senses are playing tricks on you or you're just too caught up in your dislike for Tristan that you're inventing these things."

"Sheba!" Ivan couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could she accuse him of making these things up after all they'd gone through together? It was almost as if she didn't trust him. He watched her rejoin the others, sighing to himself. What could he do? He had to find a way to prove Tristan wasn't the great man he was making himself out to be, but how?

_I can't believe Sheba just accused me of making this up_, he thought. _Has he done something to her? Or…_ A pang of hurt hit him at this next thought. _Does she really not trust me?_ That couldn't be it, could it? They'd been so close for so long—how could she ever doubt him?

"Hey, Ivan, come on," Garet called. "We've got to get to looking."

"Coming," Ivan returned. He joined in on the seemingly more futile search for their missing comrades, but his heart wasn't in it. His mind kept wandering back to Sheba and the things she'd said to him, and then back to his uneasy feelings about Tristan.

_What's happening here?_ he kept asking himself. _How could this one man suddenly come between Sheba and I when we've always been so close? I just can't understand it_.

And the more he pondered this, the more he wondered precisely why this mattered so much to him. Sheba was happy, after all, and it was entirely possible that his concerns about Tristan were completely unfounded. Why did he want so badly for all of this to be a hoax? Why did the possibility of Sheba staying here in her birthplace make him feel so…empty?

"Sheba," Tristan began. "Have you picked up anything that might help us?"

"No, not yet," she said. "I'm trying to feel out disturbances in the air, but it's not working." She sighed. "Some great Child of Jupiter I make."

He smiled. "You'll get it soon, I'm sure. I have full confidence in you, Sheba."

"Thank you, Tristan." She blushed slightly as she looked into his green eyes. He was only two, maybe three inches taller than she was. Just about right. Ivan caught the look in her eyes and felt even emptier. He slowed his pace and kept even further behind the others than before.

As the sun began to set, the group returned to Tristan's house as frustrated and clueless as before. Tensions were increasing as Felix continued to glare accusingly at Garet, and Garet of course didn't appreciate it. He loved Jenna, after all. Felix had some nerve to accuse him of not looking out for her.

"I will prepare dinner shortly," Tristan said. "I just need to fetch a few things from the market first. Please, make yourselves at home."

"Shall I help you, Tristan?" Sheba asked.

"No, that's all right," he replied with a smile. "I won't be long."

Ivan, Sheba, Felix and Garet went inside the house, but Picard lingered. He sighed to himself as he paced in front the house, kicking dirt as he went. "Isaac, Jenna, Lady Mia—where _are_ you? How could you just vanish into thin air like this? It doesn't make sense!" He turned his gaze back on the village and noticed that Tristan wasn't heading for the market like he'd said; he was heading out of town entirely. Picard thought this odd and decided to follow him discretely. Why would he say he was going to the market if he was really leaving town?

He stopped before a high, rocky cliff side, and Picard watched in amazement as Tristan walked right into the stone! Frowning, Picard went up to the cliff and touched it, only to see the whole wall shimmer.

_An illusion_, he thought. His frown deepened. _I have heard of Adepts who could distort reality like this. What is our friend Tristan hiding back here, I wonder?_ He cautiously walked through the illusory wall, coming into a wide, open chamber lit by torches. This was no cave—it was some sort of fortress or palace. It was possible that the whole mountain was a mere illusion disguising a huge building. Picard stealthily crept around the walls of the chamber towards the door on the far end. There was no sign of Tristan, but in all likelihood, he would not be pleased if someone discovered his secret place.

Picard opened the door a crack and peeked in. Beyond was another vast chamber, made entirely of white stone. A thin purple rug cut through the center of the room and led up to a platform, where there was a white chair, something like a throne. He opened the door a little more to get a better look. And then he saw that hanging by their wrists from the ceiling were none other than Isaac, Mia and Jenna! Picard stepped fully into the room, his eyes wide in shock. The three of them were unconscious, and their bodies were pulsing very faintly with a dull purple light.

"By Mercury…" Picard trailed as he approached the platform. He quickened his pace suddenly, wishing to get his friends out of here. But when he was about ten steps from the stairs, Tristan appeared out of nowhere.

"Nosy aren't you?" he inquired.

"What have you done to them?" Picard demanded. "You've been behind this whole scheme, haven't you?"

"You made a mistake by coming here," said Tristan. His voice had a sinister overtone to it that made Picard's skin crawl. "And now that you've seen all of this, I'm afraid I cannot allow you to leave."

Picard drew his sword. "Let them go this instant! What have we ever done to you to deserve this?"

"You couldn't possibly understand." He lifted his staff and the whole room lit up with the bright flare of lightening bolts. Picard jumped back and immediately cast Freeze Prism. Chunks of ice rained down and shattered on the floor. Tristan vanished in a flash of purple light and suddenly reappeared right in front of Picard, his staff lifted high above his head. The Lemurian swiftly put up his sword to block and the two weapons clashed. Even though Tristan was smaller and leaner, every tendon in Picard's arms was straining to assert control. This strength was unnatural! His feet began to skid across the stone floor.

"How are you doing this?" he grunted.

Tristan smirked. "Do you really think you can win against me? That Venus Adept tried to put up a fight as well, and look what happened to him!" His hands glowed and a shower of purple electricity blasted Picard into the far wall. The stone cracked from the force of the impact and Picard slumped to the floor. Wincing in pain, he slowly lifted his hand to cast Ply. Tristan was already lunging for him again, but the healing power seeped in enough just in time for Picard to roll aside. Tristan's staff became lodged in the wall and it took him several moments to wrench it free. More ice crystals hit him over and over like bullets, but he didn't seem too bothered by them. Picard let his hand drop to his side, thoroughly stunned.

"Why so surprised?" Tristan inquired. "You think that just because I'm smaller than you that I can't withstand your attacks? A strong mind can win over a strong body any day!"

Picard narrowed his eyes. "It does not matter if one has power. What matters is how one uses it!" He charged forward and brought his sword down with all of his might. Tristan held his staff aloft to meet the shining blade, and to his surprise, his staff was nearly cut in half. Now at close range, Picard let a concentrated blast of ice fly from his hand and sent Tristan to the floor. He stood over him and pointed his sword at his opponent's neck.

"Now, you will release them."

But Tristan only smirked again. He flicked his wrist and a mighty jolt of lightening struck Picard from above. For a moment, all the Lemurian could do was howl and writhe as the electricity scalded him inside and out. When Tristan finally ended his assault, Picard collapsed to the floor, steam emanating off of him.

"Forgive me…Lady…Mia…" he murmured before finally succumbing to unconsciousness.

"Thus all who oppose me shall fall," Tristan said with another dastardly grin. "Sleep well, my friend."

---------------------------------------------------

Oh, my poor Picard-sama! Please forgive me for doing that to you! ::Cries:: See? This cliffhanging stuff is rough on the author too! ^^;;


	6. Static

I'm very, very, very, very, very, VERY sorry that this update took so long! I have a good reason for the delay though. I won't go into the agonizing details, but the gist of it is that I've practically been living at the library for the past two and a half weeks working on my EVIL senior thesis (i.e. the last major hurdle towards getting my BA), and therefore I had very little time to do much of anything fun. The good news is that my thesis is due on the 28th, and I'll basically be done with school after that. I hope this chapter is worth the wait!

And for any GS newbies, Picard is Piers's original Japanese name. Frankly, I think Piers is a pretty crappy substitute (stupid Nintendo), so I will forever be referring to our Lemurian friend as "Picard." ^_^

***Static***

"This was outside in the shrubs," Tristan said, holding up Picard's shining sword.

"That's _it_!" Garet cried. "We have to find this creep and blow him to pieces before we all disappear off the face of Weyard!"

"Picard…" Sheba whispered, staring at the blade. "Oh no! This is all my fault! If only I could pinpoint the source behind all of this!"

Ivan started to go to her but Tristan got there first. "It's all right, Sheba. We'll find them somehow."

Sheba hugged him and Ivan fumed to himself. Then he saw a huge mark in Tristan's staff. It looked like a chunk of the wood had been sliced away…

"What's that, Tristan?" Ivan asked, pointing to the mark.

Tristan fidgeted ever so slightly. "Oh look at that! I must've scraped my staff against something in the marketplace. Pity."

Ivan narrowed his eyes. There was no way a mark of that significance had come from a mere scrape. He was about to point this out but then thought better of it. If he played his cards right, he'd finally have the proof he needed to expose Tristan for the phony he was.

Once everyone else was asleep, Ivan got up and tiptoed across the living area to where Picard's sword lay on the table. He picked it up with both hands but failed to appreciate the weight of the weapon and fell over with a dull crash. He held his breath for a moment to see if anyone had heard him, but Garet's snoring had successfully masked the noise and no one stirred. Ivan frowned at the weapon and picked it up again, this time more cautiously. How the heck did Picard manage to fight with this thing? It weighed a ton!

Silently, Ivan crept into Tristan's bedroom and found the staff in question. He carefully took the sword by the hilt and held the blade up to the crack in the staff. The two fit together like matching puzzle pieces.

_I knew it!_ Ivan exclaimed to himself. _This slash mark was created by Picard's sword, which means the two of them must've sparred. Tristan _does_ know something about these disappearances, and it wouldn't surprise me if he concocted the whole thing to get to Sheba!_

He regarded the snoozing Jupiter Adept carefully, debating whether or not to try a Mind Read. No, that was too risky. Better to wait until tomorrow when he could present this evidence to the others.

************

Sheba sat in the grass outside of Tristan's house trying to focus her power. Why couldn't she figure out what was going on? What kind of Child of Jupiter did she make? No matter how hard she tried to feel out a disturbance, everything just came up blank. She opened her eyes and sighed loudly, frustrated and hopeless. What had happened to the others? Were they even still alive?

A familiar pair of feet came into her field of vision and she gazed up to meet Ivan's violet eyes. He smiled slightly and sat down across from her. "Can we talk?"

"I guess," she replied. "I'm so worried about the others. Why can't I figure this out? Tristan said I'd be able to!"

"Sheba, I have something to tell you and I know you're not going to like it, but please--hear me out. It's important."

"If it's more of your wild stories about Tristan, I'm not interested."

_That was a low blow_, Ivan thought, trying not to let the hurt he felt reflect on his face. He bit his lip and spoke carefully.

"When have I ever lied to you, Sheba? We've been traveling together for a long time now and I thought we trusted each other completely. I know I trust you."

"It's not that, Ivan. You're my dearest friend of all and I'll never stop caring about you or respecting you. But this is different. I feel a connection to this place, to Tristan, and I can't ignore that."

"He's deceiving you, Sheba," Ivan said. "He's been deceiving all of us. Last night, I compared Picard's sword to the mark on Tristan's staff and they matched perfectly. He knows something about what's going on!"

"Stop it!" Sheba insisted. "Just stop!"

Ivan leaned forward and grasped her hand. "Listen to me! Remember that weird feeling we kept getting while we were on the ship? The one we couldn't figure out?"

"It was the sea dragon."

"No, I don't think it was. I think it was about this place and Tristan. I've had a strange feeling about him since we met him and it won't go away. He _has_ to be hiding something!"

She yanked her hand away and stood up. "I don't want to hear another one of your lies!"

He kept on her heels as she walked away and grabbed her by the shoulder. "Don't you get it? This is exactly what he wants--to erode our bond of trust! He's trying to get to you!"

All of a sudden, Sheba whirled and slapped Ivan square across the face. Stunned, he stared into her watering eyes still as a statue.

"I thought you understood," she said in a quiet but clearly upset tone. "I thought that you'd be happy for me, Ivan, but I guess you're not the friend I thought you were." Eyes still watering, she turned and ran away into the village.

"Sheba…" Ivan whispered as he touched his throbbing cheek. "What's happened to us?"

Tristan was idly pacing about town when he saw Sheba lurking behind one of the buildings. He approached her slowly and heard her drawing in sniffles. "Sheba?" he asked in concern. "What's the matter?"

She turned to him, wiping furiously at her tears. "Oh Tristan. Forgive me. This whole situation has me worked up."

"I understand. Is there anything I can do to help?"

For a brief moment, Sheba looked into the emerald green eyes and thought she felt something. Ivan's words came flooding back to her and a small wave of doubt crept into her mind. "Tristan…I…"

"What?"

"You said the other day that you had something to tell me. Something else that I should know. Please, what is it?"

He smiled slightly. "Are you sure you want me to tell you? It could change a lot of things between us."

"Yes. I have to know."

"Very well." He paused a moment and looked pensive. "It is a custom in this village for mates to be chosen by their parents. And when you were born, Sheba, it was determined that there was only one boy powerful enough to be fit for the Child of Jupiter."

"What are you saying, Tristan?"

"Our parents decreed it, Sheba. You and I were betrothed."

Silence. The revelation was almost too much for her. Again, Ivan's words resounded in the back of her mind for a split-second, but they were quickly pushed aside by the happiness she felt. This had to be right! Without another thought, she leaped into Tristan's arms and started to laugh.

"I can't believe it!" she cried. "It's just too perfect!"

"Do you really mean that?"

"Yes! Tristan, this is the best possible news you could've given me right now!"

He grinned broadly as he returned her embrace. "Does this mean you'll stay with me, Sheba? Forever?"

"Forever!" She gave him a peck on the cheek and then slowly moved into a longer, more meaningful kiss. She settled contentedly into his arms, unable to stop smiling. It was all so right.

"You've made me the happiest man alive, Sheba," Tristan said honestly. "Thank you so much."

"No, thank _you_ for helping me find my real place in this world."

They remained in their silent, euphoric embrace for several minutes, and then parted slightly. "Sheba," Tristan began. "Now that you've agreed to stay, there is something I would like to show you."

"Oh?" Her eyes lit up. "What is it?"

"Come with me." He gripped her hand tightly and led her away from the village towards a high, rocky cliff. Sheba stared at it a moment in confusion before Tristan pulled her right through the wall and into the open chamber within. "This temple was built long ago by our ancestors. Isn't it amazing?"

Sheba paced a few steps in wonder. "I've never seen anything like this. It's…incredible! But how did you disguise it so perfectly?"

Tristan smiled. "A trade secret. The illusion is so flawless that even the power of Reveal cannot see through it." He went towards the door at the far side of the chamber. "Come. There are even more surprises within."

He pushed open the door and Sheba stepped into the vast, white-stone chamber. She walked along the purple carpet, unable to take all of it in. Above, there was a skylight revealing the setting sun. "It's so beautiful."

"I was hoping you'd say that." Tristan tapped the floor with his staff and four white columns slowly sprouted out of the floor close to the throne at the far end. Sheba watched in both delight and awe, and then she saw that chained atop three of the columns were three very familiar figures.

"I-Isaac?" she gasped in disbelief. "Mia? Jenna?" She ran closer and gazed up at her friends. None of them moved and their bodies pulsed with a dull purple light. "H-how can this be? They were here the whole time?"

"That's correct," Tristan said, coming up behind her. Sheba whirled, fury in her eyes.

"What have you done to them?! Let them go this instant!"

"I cannot do that, Sheba."

"Why?" she demanded, her voice rising. "And where is Picard? What have you done with Picard?"

"Ah yes, the Lemurian. He didn't go as easily as the others, but I wouldn't have expected anything less of a warrior from that ancient race." He lifted his hand and light suddenly shone from above the throne platform. Picard was there on the floor beside the throne, also chained and also enveloped in the dull purple light. "I only kept him around so that I might extract some information from him. It is not everyday that one meets a real Lemurian."

Sheba was fuming. "I demand that you set them free! How could you do this to me, Tristan? How could you trick me this way?!"

"It wasn't a trick, Sheba. I've done all of this for your benefit, and very soon, you shall understand why." He looked directly into her eyes and she was suddenly aware of a dark cloud invading her mind and she could feel herself about to pass out. As a last-ditch effort, she sent out the loudest telepathic cry she could manage, but then everything went black.

************

_IVAN!_

The frightened cry echoed in Ivan's mind like a shotgun blast. _Sheba?_ He tried to call back, but there was no response. He couldn't even sense her mental energies nearby, as if some sort of wall were blocking her off. _Sheba?!_ His heart jumped to his throat and started pounding loudly. Where was she? What was happening to her?

"Felix!" he called, seeing the Venus Adept nearby. "Have you seen Sheba?"

"Not since earlier when she was meditating. Why?"

Ivan knitted his eyebrows and walked briskly through the village streets, bumping into Garet as he went.

"Where's the fire, Ivan?"

"Have you seen Sheba?"

Garet thought a moment. "I saw her a short while ago with Tristan. They looked like they were heading out of town."

"Which way?" Ivan asked desperately.

"That way." Garet pointed in the direction and Ivan took off. "Hey Ivan, what's going on?"

But Ivan didn't stop to answer. He ran as fast as his feet would carry him, looking for some sign of Sheba. Above, the sky darkened as black clouds began to gather. Felix and Garet met up in town just as a flock of the blue-black, two-headed bird creatures descended from within the clouds.

As soon as Ivan came to the high, rocky cliff, he knew there was something suspicious about it. He cast Reveal and to his surprise, saw no change. So he touched the wall instead and discovered that his hand went through it. Cautiously, he walked through and found his way to the white-stone chamber. Discovering Isaac, Mia, Jenna and Picard was enough of a surprise, but then he saw Sheba there too. She was sitting up perfectly straight on the throne and staring dead ahead of her. But her eyes were clouded and weren't actually seeing anything.

"Sheba?" Ivan questioned as he approached her. "Sheba?" No reaction at all. Her eyes continued to stare ahead blankly. He was about to try Mind Read when a flash of purple light caught his attention.

"At last you're here," Tristan said. "I knew you'd come as soon as Sheba sent her distress call."

Ivan glared at the other Jupiter Adept and brandished his staff. "What have you done to her--to all of them? Tell me!"

Tristan smirked. "They're safe, but they won't be much longer. I merely used a combination of Psynergies to bind their powers and hold them in trances until the time is right."

"What?"

"Tonight is a new moon," Tristan began wistfully, pacing about the room. "And I must perform my ceremony again, just like I have once every twenty-five years for the past three centuries." He turned to face Ivan. "And you, Ivan, are the last required ingredient."

"Ingredient, eh?" Ivan inquired. "Sounds like you're trying to cook up a recipe for disaster. Let my friends go or prepare to fight me."

"You're not worthy of my time!" Tristan scoffed. "You're hardly a master of your element--you can't even cast Spark Plasma!" He smirked again. "But there is plenty of time before I must perform the incantation. Show me what you have, child."

-------------------------------------------------

Yup, another cliffhanger. But what did you expect when we're working towards the climax? Next chapter--the decisive battle between Ivan and Tristan (as well as a whole lot of revelations)! Who will survive? ^_^


	7. Mind over Matter

Woohoo I'm done with my evil senior thesis! And it was only 22 pages long. -_- Yeah. Well, I don't feel like dwelling on the past, so let's forget about that vile thing and focus on the fun stuff—fanfiction! ^_^ But first, these important messages:

Griffinkhan: 1) Yes it is a weird coincidence! I was quite surprised at it myself. 2) What, Jupiter Adepts can't "size each other up" when they meet? I sort of assumed that they'd all do a little Mind Reading when they met to get to know each other. I guess I should've written that in… ^^; Nothing slips by your eye does it? ^_^

"Seatbelts": I'm sorry but this issue isn't up for debate. I've been calling him Picard since I wrote "Adrift in Despair" over half a year ago, and I've gotten very attached to the name. "Picard" is a French name too, and it has a certain _je ne sais quoi_ that "Piers" doesn't. Next time you have a problem with something in my writing please be a little bit nicer in voicing your opinion. I detest rudeness.

***Mind over Matter***

Ivan didn't waste any time, lunging for Tristan with his staff at the ready. The other Jupiter Adept put up his own staff to block and proceeded to whack Ivan away like a piece of paper. His physical strength was much greater than his outward appearance suggested, but it only took Ivan a moment to deduce why--Impact Psynergy. Two could play at that game. He cast the spell, feeling his lean muscles bulge with a burst of power, and made another jab at Tristan.

"Good. Very good." he sneered. "I'm quite impressed."

"Can it, Tristan! I want to know why you've done all of this. And what do you want with Sheba?"

"Curious, aren't we? You should be more concerned about yourself. I wouldn't dream of harming Sheba." His staff crackled with electricity and let fly a searing purple bolt. Ivan dodged the shot and countered with his own, only to miss and be struck by a follow up blast from Tristan. The blue-black-haired Jupiter Adept grinned menacingly and formed a ball of blue fire in his left hand.

"What's that supposed to be?" Ivan asked. It looked exactly like the flame used by the sea serpent and the huge bird monsters. And now that Ivan thought about it, those creatures had been the same shade of blue-black as Tristan's hair. What did that mean?

"When you've lived as long as I have, you learn to expand beyond your original horizons. While it is true that Jupiter Psynergy is the best, even it has its limitations. I picked up this trick from a Mercurian warrior I met once long ago."

"But that's impossible."

"Is it? I assure you this flame is very real. Feel it yourself." Tristan hurled the fireball. Ivan jumped over it and it crashed into the far wall, leaving a scorched indentation in the white stone. "Beat that if you dare."

Ivan gripped his staff with both hands, raising it above his head. _Sheba_, he thought, _if you can hear me, please guide my power_. A barrage of purple bolts thundered down from above. It wasn't quite potent enough to be Spark Plasma, but it was clearly stronger than Shine Plasma. Tristan lifted an eyebrow in surprise, but he didn't even flinch.

"Face it, child. You don't stand a chance against me."

"Well I'm not going to stand here and let you hurt my friends. I'd rather die trying to save them."

"Typical. Lucky for you, I can't let that happen. I need you alive in order for this to work."

"For what to work?"

"You'll see." Tristan sent out a huge funnel of wind, which sucked Ivan up, spun him around and threw him across the room. But Ivan managed to kick-off from the wall and spiral back, casting Destruct Ray as he went. The largest bolt knocked Tristan down, and he was immediately hit from another direction by more lightning. Ivan skidded to a landing before his opponent and tried to cast Spark Plasma again. But like before, it wasn't quite right. Tristan staggered to his feet and let fly another blue fireball, singeing the edge of Ivan's cape. He cast Impact on himself again and lunged, tackling Ivan to the ground and then lifting him up by the neck.

"Are we through with this foolish game now?" he inquired. "Or do you want me to knock you around some more?"

Ivan surged with purple light, unleashing Tornado to try and free himself. To his relief, Tristan lost his grip and slid across the floor. Ivan massaged his neck a moment, coughing slightly, before getting whacked with…Clay Spire? It couldn't be! How could a Jupiter Adept ever cast and earthen spell like that?!

"You seem surprised," said Tristan. "I warned you that I had expanded beyond my horizons."

"How?" Ivan whispered. "How did you do that?"

But Tristan didn't answer. Instead, he launched an all-out assault with the speed of a hurricane, a fury of attacks coming at Ivan in all directions. And they were Psynergies of every variety, ranging from earthquakes to lava streams to columns of water and back to lightning bolts. He knew attacks from each element! Ivan didn't try to retaliate--only survive by dodging every surprise. He unleashed Zephyr to boost his speed, making this task easier, but one well-placed Gaia attack was all it took send him crashing into the wall. He pulled himself up into a sitting position, leaning against the wall, but lacked the strength to move any more than that.

"I haven't had this much fun in ages. If I didn't need you for my ceremony, I'd keep you around just for amusement!"

__

This isn't good, Ivan thought, being extra careful to guard his mind from prying outsiders. _I don't know how this guy's doing it, but he can cross elemental lines. There's no way I can beat him at this rate._ He looked to Sheba and the others, wishing that at least one of them could come to his aid, but that clearly wasn't an option. And no doubt Garet and Felix were either otherwise occupied or too busy fighting each other to help. Tristan had obviously planned this whole thing out to the letter.

The skylight above displayed an increasing array of stars. Tristan looked up and his confident expression wavered slightly. "Time is waning. Are you ready to give up, Ivan?"

And that was when Ivan got his brilliant idea. If he couldn't defeat Tristan in battle, he would have to try and outsmart him. And time was apparently an important factor in whatever he was planning. Tactic: stall.

"I'll surrender to you on one condition--that you tell me what all of this is about."

"You have a lot of nerve making demands of me," Tristan glowered. Then he smirked again. "But you're obviously no longer in any shape to fight, so why not? Where would you like me to begin?"

"What's this 'ceremony' you keep talking about?"

"The key to my longevity. It is an ancient incantation I discovered long ago that guarantees eternal life and greater power if done correctly. Every twenty-five years, at a certain time on the night of a new moon, I must perform it to retain my youth and expand my abilities as an Adept. It has allowed me to live for over three centuries and makes me more powerful with each passing day."

"And what exactly do you do during this 'ceremony?'"

"Your group had perfect timing--arriving here just days before I needed to continue my ritual. You see, in order for this to work, I require one Adept from each clan, something that's getting harder and harder to come by these days. I was worried that I wasn't going to find what I needed in time, but then I received a premonition telling me that eight Adepts were going to sail close by, so I created that sea serpent to redirect you here. You were all so easily duped."

Ivan narrowed his eyes. "I see. So you were the one behind those monster attacks, and the stories about people disappearing from your village were all lies."

"Of course. I've become so powerful over the years that I can create illusions that even advanced Jupiter Adepts cannot detect. That whole village and all the people in it are mere mirages that I set up to lure you here. And my palace is perfectly disguised as a mountain. Clever, isn't it?"

__

It's sickening, Ivan thought, disgusted at Tristan and at himself for not picking up on this sooner. But he willed himself to focus. He had to keep Tristan talking. He had to stall. What time was it? The sun had already set and it was hard to tell time with no moon in the sky. Was Tristan arrogant enough to disclose exactly _when_ this ceremony had to be completed? Doubtful—better not risk it.

"So you've been luring everyone here one at a time so you could steal their life forces," he said. "And right now you have one Venus, one Mars, two Mercury and two Jupiter."

"The Lemurian was an added bonus. I did not seek to capture him—he followed me here and discovered my secret so I couldn't let him go. It's risky keeping him alive, I admit, but I was hoping to read his mind later and see if I can learn anything new. The girl Mercury Adept was luckily swept ashore by one of my monsters and also served as the perfect bait to get the rest of you here. The Venus Adept I found pacing aimlessly along the beach the night before I met you. He put up quite a fight when I tried to capture him, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. Miss Jenna's curiosity was her undoing—I lured her here easily. And with you here, I have a Jupiter Adept to use too."

"That still doesn't explain what you want with Sheba. What could you possibly gain from feeding her those lies about the 'Child of Jupiter' and this being her true home? If you intended on using me for your ceremony, then why bother tricking her?"

At this, Tristan's expression changed from the smirking arrogance to one of longing. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to live alone for so long? For years I have searched for someone to share my riches and powers with, someone worthy of everything I've built. When I saw Sheba in my premonition, I knew that she was the one I've been longing for. I've never met someone so innocent and powerful. And she has immense potential as an Adept. There is no one else I would rather spend an eternity with."

Ivan stared at Tristan like he was crazy. After all of this, how in the world could he think that Sheba would return his affection?

"Of course, I couldn't be straight with Sheba from the start," Tristan continued. "Not when I still needed Adepts for my ceremony. So I scanned her mind and found out her deepest desire and told her what she wanted to hear. She and I are very much alike—both of us alone without anyone to turn to. I created that story for her, so she wouldn't feel lonely anymore. And once this night is over, the two of us can live here together forever."

"And you honestly think Sheba will go for that?" Ivan demanded. "You _lied_ to her, Tristan! And you're going to end up killing all of her closest friends! How could you ever expect her to forgive you for something so criminal?"

"You think I don't know that?" Tristan tightened his free hand into a trembling fist. "I can make it right. I can use my power to wipe her memory clean of all of you. She won't remember any of you—only what I have told her about her past. And she can be happy…"

Ivan pulled himself to his feet, his balance wavering slightly. "Then what you want is to live a lie. You won't really have her love because you tricked her into feeling that way! All you will have is a living doll—an empty puppet on a string that you manipulated and controlled into acting the way you wanted her to!"

"Don't say that! It didn't have to be this way! You were the one who kept getting in my way! Everything would've gone so much more smoothly if not for her love for you!"

"What?" Ivan was shocked. Sheba _loved_ him?!

"Don't pretend like you have no idea what I'm talking about," said Tristan in a low voice. "It's plain as day that she loves you and that you love her—it shines from both of you brighter than lightning! But I won't let you have her, Ivan! She's mine!"

The words were barely registering in Ivan's mind. He was trying to sort everything out. It was true that he had a special bond with Sheba, but was that bond he felt actually love? He stole a glance at her and wondered if this could be true. Could they really be in love with each other and not have known it?

He was so distracted that he didn't realize that Tristan had moved closer. He seized Ivan again and started dragging him towards the empty column. "It is time, Ivan. I will have my renewed youth, my enhanced power and the woman I love. And there isn't anything you can do to stop me!"

"I don't think so!" Ivan said, breaking free of the grip. He'd had enough time to recover some of his strength and unleashed it in the form of Shine Plasma. Angered, Tristan whirled and cast Quake Sphere but Ivan jumped out of the way.

"You try my patience, boy! I will not be denied!"

Above on the columns, Isaac, Mia and Jenna began to glow in the colors of their elements. Tristan lunged for Ivan in desperation but the hour had grown too late. His window of opportunity for reciting his incantation had vanished and the last required ingredient hadn't been properly placed in time. Ivan watched in surprise and horror as Tristan wretched and contorted, howling in pain.

"No!" he gasped out. "My life…my power!"

"You lose, Tristan," Ivan said solemnly. "I outsmarted you by stalling until you were out of time. Someone as old as you should know that you can't cheat death forever—especially not when you play with the lives of other people!"

"Sheba…!" It was the last thing Tristan ever said, as his body turned gray and crumbled to ashes.

The light show stopped and Ivan heard the sound of chains clicking open and low groans from the others as they started to come around. He smiled slightly and went to where Sheba sat on the throne. "Sheba, are you OK?" he asked.

No response. She remained sitting perfectly still like a statue. Ivan grasped her shoulders and shook her. "Sheba? Sheba, it's me—Ivan! Come on!"

Something was rumbling deep within the bowels of the fortress. The ground shook and the walls and columns started to crumble. The others were up and about now, still slightly dazed and confused, but came to the realization that they couldn't remain in this place any longer. Picard picked Sheba up and together the whole group fled as Tristan's home collapsed.


	8. Winds of Change

***Winds of Change***

Felix and Garet had had their fill fighting the onslaught of bird creatures. Exhausted and drained of the last drops of Psynergy within them, they were all but ready to give up when their targets suddenly sputtered and turned to ashes. They looked at each other in surprise and saw that the whole village and all of the people in it were fading away into the air. What had just happened?

"What in the name of Venus…?" Felix trailed.

"You saw it too?" Garet questioned. "I thought maybe I just took too many hits to the head."

Felix paced a few steps and saw the shadows approaching the clearing where the village had once been. For a moment, he held up his sword in preparation for another fight, but quickly let it drop when he saw his sister and the others.

"Jenna!" he exclaimed in relief.

"Jenna?" Garet asked, turning.

The Mars Adept in question dashed forward, her eyes watering out of happiness and the full realization that the ordeal was over. Felix outstretched his arms in wait, but she ran right by him and plowed into Garet. To say her brother was annoyed would be an understatement. His lip twitched as he watched the two of them embrace.

"Garet!" she cried, fighting tears. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again!"

"Where on earth were you?" he asked. "I was worried sick!"

"It was Tristan," Picard said wearily. "He had us all fooled, I'm afraid. He created this whole village in order to lure us into his trap."

"Trap?" Felix inquired.

"He needed an Adept of each clan to further extend his life," said Isaac. "He was going to drain our life essences until Ivan showed up and put a stop to his plans."

"And where is that guy now?" Garet demanded. "There's no way I'm letting him get away with making fools out of us!"

"He's dead, Garet," Ivan sighed. "Time finally caught up with him." He looked to Picard. "How's Sheba?"

Picard lowered himself into the grass and set Sheba's limp body down. Her eyes were still clouded and unblinking, staring into nothingness. "I don't know what Tristan did to her, but it must be different from the trances he placed the rest of us in. Otherwise she would be awake by now."

Mia lifted a hand and cast Ply, but it had no effect. "I don't think my healing powers know how to deal with this sort of thing. They aren't meant to treat mental afflictions."

"Leave it to me then," Ivan said. He knelt beside Sheba and cast Mind Read to try and figure out what was going on inside her mind. To his surprise, he was literally thrown backwards by a sudden blockage standing in his way. Something had sealed Sheba's subconscious behind an impenetrable wall. He bit his lower lip and tried again but it was no use. There wasn't a single weak spot in this wall. What could he do?

"Ivan?" Isaac questioned. "What is it?"

"I…I can't get in," he replied quietly. "Whatever spell Tristan cast, it's beyond my power to break. Her mind is…trapped."

"Trapped?" Jenna repeated. "You mean Sheba's going to be stuck like this…forever?"

Everyone looked completely helpless, not knowing what to do. Ivan kept trying Mind Read over and over, getting more desperate each time he cast it. A raw and immensely painful sadness began to work its way into his heart as he slowly realized that there was nothing he could do to help his friend, his mirror, out of this catatonic state. His purple eyes started to water.

_This is all my fault_, he thought. _If I had caught onto Tristan's plans sooner, this wouldn't have happened! _ He looked into Sheba's blank eyes. _You can't leave me like this, Sheba. What am I supposed to do without you? I…need you…_ And without even thinking about what he was doing, Ivan leaned over and kissed Sheba.

It was electrifying. A twinge of power passed between the two Jupiter Adepts and something sizzled, crackled, and sparkled to life. Within that one moment, lightening flashed and a tempest of emotion neither one knew existed burst forth, shattering every blockade in its path. Sheba moaned slightly, and then Ivan became aware that she was kissing him back! They embraced each other tightly and looked into each other's eyes. Sheba's were alive again, filled with their usual lively energy as well as tears.

"Ivan…!" she cried, falling into sobs. "I'm so sorry! I was such a fool—I fell right into Tristan's trap! How can you ever forgive me?"

"I already have," he said. "I'm just glad you're OK. You had me really worried for a moment there."

Sheba sniffled. "You're so good to me, Ivan. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Garet was snickering. "That sure was some powerful mouth-to-mouth you gave her, Ivan!"

The Jupiter Adepts turned the color of vine ripe tomatoes. Ivan sprung to his feet and promptly whacked Garet over the head with his staff. Garet fell over but continued laughing even when he was met with a bolt from Sheba's hand. 

"When's the wedding, anyway?" he joked as he got up. Ivan and Sheba looked at each other with dastardly grins and began chasing Garet around, firing spells as they went. The others shook their heads and sighed.

"Well I'm glad things are back to normal," Picard said.

"Depends on what you mean by normal," Felix muttered. "Jenna, what on earth do you see in that buffoon?"

Jenna smiled sweetly. "He gets under your skin, dear brother. Isn't that a good enough reason?"

************

When morning came, the whole group headed back to the hidden cove where the ship was anchored. Only now it was in plain sight instead of being properly disguised by the Cloak Ball. Cautiously, they stepped on board, preparing to fight whatever had invaded their vessel.

"Felix, I thought you Cloaked the ship!" Isaac whispered.

"I did!" he insisted. "If you hadn't been so broken up about your girlfriend going overboard, maybe you might've noticed!"

Jenna hit her brother. "Felix!" she hissed. "Don't talk to Isaac that way!"

"Well someone's definitely here," said Ivan. "I can feel it."

"Me too." Sheba added. Her eyes glowed a moment. "Behind that door, right Ivan?"

He nodded, and Garet, Felix, Isaac and Picard went to the indicated door with their swords at the ready. Felix tentatively reached for the knob when the door suddenly flew open, knocking the four boys over. And standing before them was an all too familiar figure.

"Well it's about time!" Kraden said indignantly. "I was beginning to think you had forgotten about your dear teacher!"

"Kraden?!" everyone cried in surprise.

"How did you get here?" Garet asked.

"You think just because I'm old that I can't find my way around the world? In my day, we walked across the continents, uphill _both_ ways, and we never stopped for so much as a snack! And you young people accuse your elders of being weak and feeble and burdensome! For shame!"

Quiet groans passed around the Adepts. Isaac forced a smile. "Well, we're glad that you're here, Kraden. We've been worried about you."

"No need for that," the old man said briskly. "We have a lot of catching up to do. You wouldn't believe some of the discoveries I've made during my travels! Ancient ruins and artifacts and a wealth of information about Alchemy and its ties to this world! Come sit with me Isaac and I'll tell you—you'll be amazed!"

Isaac looked to the others for help and was met with unsure shrugs. "I don't believe we've met," Picard piped in suddenly. "And I think you're due a proper introduction, Kraden. I am Picard of Lemuria."

"Lemuria?!" Kraden's eyes lit up. "_The_ Lemuria?!"

"That is correct. Isaac and the others have told me much about you, Kraden. I hear you are quite the scholar."

"A real Lemurian!" Kraden exclaimed, shaking Picard's hand vigorously. "By the Elements, Isaac, you hit the jackpot, didn't you? You simply _must_ tell me everything about your civilization—don't leave out a single detail no matter how insignificant it may seem!"

The two of them walked off towards the stern of the ship. "Poor Picard," said Felix. "How long do you suppose it will be before Kraden drives him over the edge with his questions?"

"I can only imagine…" Jenna trailed.

"I owe him a huge favor for this," Isaac said. "Picard's definitely one of the good ones."

Later, when the ship was once again cutting a path through the sea, Ivan stood out on deck and reveled in the embrace of the breeze. He could hear Garet and Jenna arguing on the other side of the ship, but it was easy to ignore them when surrounded by this wind. Sheba appeared beside him, a smile on her face.

_I wanted to thank you, Ivan_, she said to his mind. _For everything you did for me back there. And I also wanted to apologize for the way I acted_.

_Don't give it another thought. Tristan had us all fooled—it wasn't your fault._

But I should've listened to you. I should've trusted your judgment!

Ivan smiled. _Sheba, it doesn't matter. He tricked you by preying on your desire to learn about your origins. I can't say I wouldn't have reacted the same way if it had been me._

Ivan… Her smile grew wider and she pecked him on the cheek. _I wish I'd met you sooner. Everything always feels so right when I'm with you._

_I feel the same way._ He blushed a bit. _About that kiss…I can explain it…_

She chuckled. _No explanations are necessary. Whatever you feel, I can honestly say that I feel it too. I love you, Ivan—I just didn't realize it until now_.

They interlocked their hands and gazed out at the sea. _I guess you were right, Sheba_, Ivan said. _I think the answers we want lie ahead of us, not behind us_.

Sheba laid her head on his shoulder. _And we'll face whatever we find together_.

Mia, standing on the deck above, smiled down at the two young Jupiter Adepts. This adventure had indeed turned into some sort of romantic cruise when they weren't busy fighting evil monsters or people or getting lost at sea. She followed Ivan and Sheba's gaze into the unknown expanse of turquoise ocean, admiring the way the sunlight reflected on the water, and then she felt a familiar set of arms wrap around her waist.

"Ivan and Sheba sure look happy, don't they?" Isaac asked.

"Yes. I saw this coming a mile away, didn't you?"

"There were clues." He squeezed her a little tighter.

"What is it, Isaac?"

"Nothing. I'm just glad to be here with you like this."

Mia smiled, turning her head to meet his eyes. "I'm going to worry you into an early grave, aren't I?"

"That's one way of putting it," Isaac chuckled. "But I will say that every obstacle we encounter only makes me more certain of how right this is. I love you, Mia."

"I love you too, Isaac. Forever and ever." And they kissed.

From his place on the bridge, Kraden shook his head at the whole spectacle. "I see that you've all been quite busy during my absence."

"You could say that," said Felix.

"Teenagers," Kraden harrumphed. "And to think this bunch is the hope for the world."

Picard was grinning broadly as he looked at the rest of his friends. "I couldn't think of brighter stars to wish on," he whispered.

*~_The End_~*

Author's Note: If you couldn't tell, I deliberately set this up so that it would more or less coincide with the Lost Age. This was my great plan from the very beginning, and now that I've played the Lost Age, I know exactly how I want to bring this whole thing together. Long story short, there's already a sequel in the works! ^_^ It will start off with the journey to and lighting of the Mars Lighthouse, the ending of the Lost Age, and then some other twists on the way to Isaac and Mia's wedding (!). But since this next installment will contain major spoilers for the ending of GS, I'm going to hold off writing it for awhile to give more people time to finish the game. In the meantime, expect some much needed updating to my very neglected _Ocarina of Time_ parody as well as a few other surprises! ^_^ See ya!


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